Morocco inspects ‘abandoned wells’ to prevent another death

The Moroccan Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water has begun identifying and locating abandoned wells, which may pose a threat to public safety, to avoid the death of another child.

On 1 February, five-year-old Moroccan child Rayan fell 32 metres into a 60-metre well near his village of Ighran and died before rescuers were able to reach him on Saturday.

The Director of Water Research and Planning at the ministry, Abdelaziz Zerouali, said the minister had issued strict instructions for comprehensive checks of wells, which may pose a threat to public safety, in coordination with the local authorities.

Based on the process, “the water basin agencies will issue a warning to violators to close or restore these wells within reasonable timelines, to eliminate any danger to the public and animals,” Zerouali said.

He explained that “in the event of non-compliance with these procedures, the concerned water basin agency will carry out the filling process at the violator’s expense, with the possibility of judicial follow-up.”

READ: Second child dies in Morocco after falling into 50-metre well